Learning

The Education Department is responsible for the development and implementation of all educational programmes that accompany every exhibition. This unit is also responsible for outreach programmes in schools, communities and Organizations Island wide.

exhibitions

Exhibitions are a very important part of the function of National Museum Jamaica, as this is one of the main ways that the museum disseminates information to the public. These exhibitions can be either temporary or permanent, and features a range of subject matter all focused on Jamaica’s history and ethnography.

Collections

The National Collection comprises over 21,000 artefacts dating from the pre-Columbian era of Jamaica’s history up to modern times. Each artefact we collect, store and care for is an invaluable part of the story of the Jamaican people.

SPECIAL Exhibition

Let's Talk History

“Island Song”

By Vanessa Woolf

Background by Amara Thornton

Photo of the month

National Museum Jamaica's booth for Heritage Fest 2024 at York Castle High. A student from York Castle High speaking to Stephanie Rose, Assistant Education Officer at the National Museum Jamaica.

national_museum_jamaica

During Diwali….the festival of lights…which wa

During Diwali….the festival of lights…which was introduced to the Caribbean by East Indian indentured labourers who migrated to the Caribbean while under colonial rule.....houses and offices are aglow with dozens of earthen lamps, called 𝗱𝗶𝘆𝗮 🪔 — literally lamp in Hindi — or 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗮 in Sanskrit. It is also believed that evil spirits gain strength when there is darkness, so diya lamps filled with ghee or vegetable oils and lit with a wick, weakens these evil forces.

Diyass pictured form part of our Indian Collection.

Thank you to all the patrons who stopped by and to

Thank you to all the patrons who stopped by and to @sovcentre for hosting our Heritage Month display over the recent Heroes Day holiday weekend 🇯🇲🖤💛💚

Have a great and safe day today everyone 🇯🇲🖤🖤💚

#nationalheroesday # #holidayweeken #nationalhero #repost

Pictured is a shofar, which is a ritual musical in

Pictured is a shofar, which is a ritual musical instrument, part of our Jewish Collection (The first Jews came to Jamaica during the Spanish occupation of the Island, 1494–1655) , the shofar is a ram’s horn that is blown like a trumpet during Rosh Hashanah services, every day except Shabbat during the preceding month of Elul, and at the end of Yom Kippur. The four sounds of the shofar — tekiah, shevarim, teruah, and tekiah gedolah — remind many people of a crying voice. The shofar can also be made to produce sobbing, wailing, and sustained sounds in sequences that are varied strictly according to ritual. the shofar’s call is a reminder for us to look inward and repent for the sins of the past year. Wishing everyone a Happy Yom Kippur🕍🔯

#heritage month #one people, one heritage #out of many one people

Still three days left to register using the link i

Still three days left to register using the link in our bio for the face-to-face lecture.

4 more days until our lecture and virtual museum l

4 more days until our lecture and virtual museum launch

Please use the link in our bio to register.

Please use the link in our bio to register.

Shabti dolls (also known as shawbti and ushabti) w

Shabti dolls (also known as shawbti and ushabti) were funerary figures in Ancient Egypt who accompanied the deceased to the afterlife. They are commonly made of blue or green glazed Egyptian faience, but could also be made from wax, stone, wood, clay, metal or glass.
Shabtis were buried in the tombs of the dead in Ancient Egypt. Only the Pharaoh, the monarch of Ancient Egypt or powerful generals, priests or craftspeople were wealthy enough to have tombs.

Some shabtis were painted or carved with the name of the dead person, or even a magic spell. Spells were usually from the book of the dead, a collection of incantations to help spirits pass through the underworld.
The Ancient Egyptians believed that people took whatever they were buried with into the afterlife with them. Shabtis were seen as servants of the person who had been mummified. Everyone in Ancient Egypt was meant to help with farming in the Afterlife, shabtis (which means ‘answerer’) did the work instead of the dead person. Some shabtis hold farming tools - hoes, picks or baskets.

National Museum Jamaica partnered with the @acijjm

National Museum Jamaica partnered with the @acijjmb and the @ilovenhmj and the @tainoheritagecamp for their annual Arieto Day.

Please use the link in our bio to register for our

Please use the link in our bio to register for our Annual free Heritage Month Lecture. For the live stream link please email Alexis McDavid at outreach@museums-ioj.org.jm.. Thank you and looking forward to seeing you face-to-face or online.

See it before its gone!! Exhibition closing on Au

See it before its gone!!

Exhibition closing on August 23rd! 🇯🇵🇯🇲

#netsuke #japan #jamaica #60yearsofdiplomaticrelations

#emancipation #emancipationday #jamaica #jamaicaem

#emancipation #emancipationday #jamaica #jamaicaemancipationday 🖤💚💛🇯🇲

Come on down today for our Last Sunday of the mont

Come on down today for our Last Sunday of the month opening from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm 🇯🇲🇯🇵

#newexhibition #staytuned #japan #netsukeartist #n

#newexhibition #staytuned #japan #netsukeartist #netsuke

Today was the last day of our Japanese Culture Sum

Today was the last day of our Japanese Culture Summer Workshop, where we learned how to play 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗸𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗶. This is a traditional Japanese game that involves splitting a watermelon 🍉 with a stick while blindfolded.

Our summer workshop students learning to make orig

Our summer workshop students learning to make origami samurai helmets, using newspapers from our colleagues from the @embassyofjapaninjamaica 🇯🇵❤️🤍

Today members of the Jamaican branch of the Intern

Today members of the Jamaican branch of the International Shotokan Karate Federation, taught our summer workshop students a few moves 🥋🖤🤍...the kids had an amazing time.

We would like to thank the Ikebana International C

We would like to thank the Ikebana International Chapter 156 of St. Andrew for teaching our summer students about Ikebana (the Japanese art of floral arrangement).

Stay safe everyone 🙏🏽 #hurricanesafety #hu

Stay safe everyone 🙏🏽

#hurricanesafety #hurricaneberyl #jamaica

Today, we officially mark the anniversary of the a

Today, we officially mark the anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush that docked in Tilbury, Essex on June 22, 1948, bringing hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean to the UK.

We celebrate and honour these Caribbean migrants, and the contributions they and their families gave and continue to give to the UK.

Currently on display at the @mcgesjamaica , pictured are some our artefacts that speak to this story.

#windrushgeneration #windrushday #windrush2024 #caribbean

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Let's Connect

Institute of Jamaica

10 – 16 East Street
Kingston, Jamaica W.I.
Tel: 876-922-0620-6
Email: info@instituteofjamaica.org.jm

National Museum Jamaica

10 East Street
Kingston, Jamaica W.I.
Tel: 876-922-0620-6
Ext: 258

National Museum West

Sam Sharpe Square
Montego Bay, St. James
Jamaica W.I.
Tel: 876-971-3920 or 876-940-6402

People’s Museum

Old King’s House
Emancipation Square
Spanish Town, St. Catherine
Jamaica W.I
Tel: 876-672-7227
Mobile: 876-277-3239